Of that meeting with Presley, Petty said, "Elvis glowed." He instantly became a Presley fan, and when he returned that Saturday, he was greeted by his friend Keith Harben, and soon traded his Wham-O slingshot for a collection of Elvis 45s. In the summer of 1961, his uncle was working on the set of Presley's film Follow That Dream, in nearby Ocala, and invited Petty to watch the shoot. His interest in rock and roll music began at age ten when he met Elvis Presley. His brother Bruce was seven years younger. Petty was born on October 20, 1950, in Gainesville, Florida, the first of two sons of Kitty Petty ( nee Avery), a local tax office worker, and Earl Petty, who was a traveling salesman. Petty died of an accidental drug overdose at the age of 66, one week after the end of the Heartbreakers' 40th Anniversary Tour in 2017. He also had a minor acting career, most notably starring in a recurring role as the voice of Elroy "Lucky" Kleinschmidt in the animated comedy series King of the Hill from 2004 to the show's end in 2009. Petty was honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in February 2017 for his contributions to music and for his philanthropy. Petty and the Heartbreakers were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Solo or with the Heartbreakers, he had hit albums from the 1970s through the 2010s and sold more than 80 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Petty's solo hits include " I Won't Back Down" (1989), " Free Fallin'" (1989), and " You Don't Know How It Feels" (1994). Hit singles with the Heartbreakers include " American Girl" (1976), " Don't Do Me Like That" (1979), " Refugee" (1980), " The Waiting" (1981), " Don't Come Around Here No More" (1985) and " Learning to Fly" (1991). He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the late 1980s supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, and had success as a solo artist. Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950 – October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976.
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